Ollie's Trolley

                One of the few remaining Ollie’s from a onetime chain, the Ollie’s Trolley at 1601 W. Central Ave. at the corner of Liberty is still making up delicious soul food. Owner Marvin Smith has catered several fundraisers for Barak Obama and proudly shows off pictures with him and the President and him and the First Lady. Specializing in barbaque, this actual old trolley car that sits on the side of the road also serves up spicy burgers and fries.

Josh

            My father had told me that Ollie’s was small, but I never understood until I actually saw it for myself. No bigger than a large car, Ollie’s is rather easy to miss. After entering one of the only two doors, the first thing you will see is that the walls are covered, literally, with pictures of satisfied customer, celebrities, and even the 44^th president of the United States. The service was fast, granted that we ordered far from rush hour. My father and I sat outside at the restaurant’s one table. The burgers smelled great, one sniff and my mouth was watering. My first bite was not what I expected. The fresh garden was nice and fresh, the sauce was potent but far from overpowering. What struck me was the seasoning that was inside the meat. It was obvious but instead of being overpowering, it simply added to the flavor. Combined with the well-seasoned fires, and a great day, Ollie’s easily became a favorite of mine. My only problem was that I had a little too much sauce on mine, which of course is my personal opinion. Ollie’s may be easy to miss, but it is definitely worth the stop if you want a quick but delicious carry out meal.

Mark

                For me, Ollie’s Trolley is like that veteran ball player that brings experience to the game. It may be a little old and possibly outdated, even undersized, but it brings a spark that every team wants.

                I haven’t had a Big Ollie Burger in a number of years and had pretty much forgotten how this (wait, I can’t say house specialty since this is an actual trolley car) signature burger is spiced. There is just enough kick added to the beef to make you glad you ordered it with all the fixings. Though I did leave off the onions it came complete with crisp lettuce, a ripe tomato slice, crunchy pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and a slice of American cheese.

The burgers and fries, though frozen, are cooked up when ordered. This means you have to wait a little while to get your food but you know you aren’t getting something that has been soaking in its own grease for 30 minutes.  On the other hand, while the thick burger comes out hot it isn’t dripping in juices which make it a little dry. Still, the burger is flavorful.

Whenever people start adding spices to their burger I always fear one of two things. First I wonder why they have to add something to the meat. Is it a low quality of mean, doesn’t it taste good on its own, is it really fresh? The second thing I wonder is if I’m going to taste the spices and not the burger.

At Ollie’s there is a nice little bite of heat that they add. They have been doing it this way for long enough to know just how much needs to be there. There is the slightest hint of a bite without it being over powering. It complements the burger rather than overpower it.

                The bun was very basic and non-descript. And basically that’s OK. It was fresh and while it didn’t add anything to the overall experience it didn’t detract either. The fries are another story. Again, they are frozen but made when you place your order so they come out hot. They are also coated with the special Ollie’s fry seasoning. Just like with the burger, it complements the flavor of the fries rather than over power or detract.

                Perhaps the best part of Ollie’s is the ambience. The store itself is really little more than a stand. An actual trolley car makes up the entire restaurant. All of the food is carry-out. There are a couple of seats around outside if the weather is nice and if it is, grab a picnic table near the barbecue grills and enjoy the aromas. The trolley is filled with many African American leaders and locals as well as numerous other posters and pictures to give you something to look at while you wait for the food.

                Ollie’s is very affordable. It’s freshly made burgers at fast food prices.

                While Ollie’s isn’t my favorite burger and it’s not even in my personal top 10, it is still a destination worth visiting, especially if you’ve never been.  Hey, every team needs that good solid player coming off the bench to make a team complete.